An Ever Fixèd Mark
by kayura sanada
Summary: 1x2, 3x4, 5xS. Holiday shorts of a life after the war, when all of the pilots can finally enjoy the holidays and their opportunities to celebrate them together.
1. Halloween

An Ever Fixèd Mark

* * *

For Lady-Rinoa14's Endless Reflection Challenge.

Note: The title comes from Shakespeare's 116th sonnet. I own neither his works nor the works of Gundam Wing. Also, I swear, I just went onto a shopping site, put in 'boy's halloween costumes,' and randomized the hell out of everything. This is how it turned out. Though I think it's perfect (perfectly _awesome_), I had nothing to do with it.

WARNING: Kayura writes fluff. (Run.)

* * *

It still happened. Not often, anymore, but sometimes.

Their almost impressive house, granted to them through Quatre's rather intimidating lecture about space and security and, well, each foster child having his own bedroom, was filled to capacity at the moment with pirates and ninja and odd characters from old television shows (and Wufei rightly laid the blame for that squarely at Duo's feet). An old Japanese cartoon character raced out with Optimus Prime to the kitchen as soon as Wufei and Sally stepped through the door. Spiderman stepped in politely behind them, bowed shortly, and went to retrieve her bag.

"Wufei," Heero said in greeting, ushering them inside the madhouse. Quatre and Trowa had already arrived, bringing their little Halima with them, dressed as a pirate, thick shirts swishing as she moved to retrieve her own bag, her rapier, as real as it was sharp, on her hip. Mei greeted Halima with a bright smile.

"Yuy," Wufei said. "Where's Maxwell?"

"Hey, 'Fei! Sally!" Duo said, running down the stairs like a child himself and launching himself at Sally. She oomphed slightly as he hit, then laughed and shoved him aside.

"Get out of here, Duo! You're as excitable as the kids!" But Sally was still laughing almost too hard to get the words out. Heero and Wufei both rolled their eyes.

Loud bangs could be heard from within the kitchen as Liánzhèng and Billy started doing _something_ with the chairs. Wufei and Sally had sworn to only have one child, so of course Sally had had twins. Duo had said it served them right for trying to plan their lives. Then again, Duo was a big fan of the chaos theory – which, to him, meant 'there is naught but chaos.' And for Wufei and Sally's carefully planned lives, that was certainly true enough. Now Liánzhèng was playing some sort of 'the floor is lava' game with Billy, only with the racket going on, Heero could only assume they were also attempting to battle to the death. Mei, on the other hand, let out an angry shriek. Duo clapped a hand over his mouth and bowled over, his shoulders shaking. Mei had apparently seen what Duo had done to her bag. Heero rolled his eyes again. "Uncle Maxwell!" the eight-year-old screamed, and Duo projected an innocent look before turning.

"Yes?"

"Come here!"

Heero saw the tension in Duo's shoulders as he tried once more not to burst out laughing. "Coming!" And he trudged over to her, as if reluctant to go.

"Again?" Sally said, her own lips flickering between amusement and resignation. "How many times is he going to deliberately spell her name wrong? She never shuts up about it."

"He'll do it until she caves," Wufei said, his tone one of empathy. "And by then, she'll likely be fine with it."

Billy's and Liánzhèng's lava battle had gotten so loud Heero and Wufei both turned to scold them – only to see Russell, Duo and Heero's first foster child, go out to tell the two off for them. Russell had barely been learning to crawl when the war had ended and Duo had found him in an L2 orphanage. He and Heero did their damnedest to not play favorites, but it was no secret that Russell had a special place in their lives. He'd been the one they'd ended up adopting. The start of their family.

Billy, their second foster child, listened to Russell as if forced, but Liánzhèng looked up to him with something almost like awe. Which looked more like Code Geass' Zero had been somehow stunned or paralyzed with his head tilted up beneath the weight of the mask. Optimus Prime, however, lost his role as leader when he turned to see Heero watching him and looked immediately down at his shoes. Heero's anger was rare, but legendary. The disappointment from him was, according to Duo, worse.

Derek, their newest member to the household, sat on the final step into the room, watching everything with wide, almost angry eyes. They'd only brought him in a few months ago, and he was still getting used to the house. Yet little Halima had taken her bag and sat right next to him, her captain's hat resting in her lap, talking softly to Derek – _and Derek was responding_. Heero's brow lifted. Was Quatre's gift contagious, or was that some reason why they'd chosen to adopt her? Or perhaps Derek was attracted to her calmness during the hurricane that had become their home. Either one.

But while Halima charmed Derek over, Mei scolded Duo for having once more spelled her name like the month (on a piece of tape; he wasn't cruel). Duo was biting his cheek to keep from smiling. Mei looked just like Wufei when she was affronted, and if she hadn't had her hair pulled in a tight bun to keep it inside Spiderman's mask, she would likely have it in her traditional ponytail, and would look like a miniature version of her father. Apparently Duo thought the similarities hilarious.

Russell was the one to lead Billy and Liánzhèng back into the living room. Liánzhèng reached out and touched the end of Russell's long, dirty blond braid. He kept it to the end of his waist, not willing to let it hit his knees like Duo's, but otherwise keeping the length he'd demanded when he was a toddler wanting to emulate his daddy. Russell met Heero's eyes and nodded, handing the recalcitrant children back over to him before heading back to his room, likely to grab his own ninja mask and gear. His throwing knives and dagger would be real.

Quatre called Mei over before she could really tear Duo a new one, luring her with a promise to fix the bag. A grin marred the blond's face, however, and Trowa had turned his face away. His shoulders were shaking, too. Apparently Duo wasn't the only one who found Mei's personality funny. Duo tore off to grab his own Halloween costume, because he was nothing if not a giant kid himself sometimes. This left Heero, Wufei, and Sally to pick up the pieces of their troupe.

Derek was already fine, dressed in a red and silver costume that resembled his favorite superhero, Ultraman. Neither he nor Duo had ever heard of the man, but of course Duo had pirated the show and marathoned it that first week with Derek. Heero had managed a few shows, and had managed to gather that it was basically Doctor Who for monsters. He looked anachronistic beside the female pirate captain of Halima, a girl who looked exotic enough with her dark skin and big eyes without the Victorian-style skirts and wide, lacy sleeves of the costume. Heero dismissed them as taken care of. Russell, of course, could handle himself. He was old enough to wonder if he should be wearing a costume out, and smart enough not to ask what Duo would label "a painfully stupid question." Mei was being occupied by Quatre and Trowa, who had finally managed to battle himself into enough control to engage Mei in conversation.

That left the troublemakers, Liánzhèng and Billy, who were shifting and staring at each other with quick grins. It was clear they still had too much energy, and demanding they stifle it would only bring trouble in the long run. Heero nodded Wufei into the house, and Wufei, taking the sign, steered Sally clear. Billy was the only one of the two to pick up on the exchange, and he sent Heero a suspicious look. So Heero went for the more vulnerable target.

He scooped up Zero with one hand, working around the heavy cape to grab Liánzhèng's arms and pin them to his chest. He squealed and thrashed, but his attacks were sloppy with surprise and laughter, and Heero managed to get the door open behind him and take him outside and into the grass. "Ha! Now I have your precious hero of Japan!" he said, calling into the house. Billy's brown eyes went wide. Halima and Quatre both covered their mouths and giggled. "Now your forces are no match for me!"

"Oh, yeah?" Billy called out, familiar with the game. He launched out of the house and down the sidewalk with two long strides. Mei quickly peered around the door to watch. "You can't stop the Autobots!"

Heero laughed. "I have already taken one hero." Liánzhèng grunted with the effort to get free; Heero pretended to have his grip loosened a bit. "And I am an agent of Preventers. What can just one more hero do?"

"Two!" Mei called, running into the battle in a decidedly un-Spiderman-like manner. "You have two heroes to defeat!" And with that, she leaped up on Heero. He took on her weight without issue, though he thought he would have done better five years ago. He let Liánzhèng get a little more wriggle room, and unsurprisingly, he took it and shoved, trying to get free. Billy, barely seven now, latched onto Heero's leg while Mei smacked at Heero's arm until he let Liánzhèng go. Liánzhèng turned on one foot and grabbed Heero's other arm.

Heero maintained his balance and carefully pulled his arm free from Liánzhèng's hold. Mei clutched tightly to his arm, then, and tried to get the footing necessary for a throw – but she didn't have the momentum to pull it off, even if he let her get her feet planted. Billy tugged at his leg, trying to trip him up.

Heero saw Halima come out next, followed by Quatre and Sally. All of them watched with no indication of coming to help.

But then Heero was surprised all over again, seeing Derek step out from behind Halima. She turned to him as he passed. Derek's gaze was almost dark as he watched, Mei and Liánzhèng and Billy all pulling and groaning in exertion, grins nearly splitting their faces.

Heero quirked a brow at him.

It was a challenge, an invitation, and an assertion. Derek wasn't stupid enough to not get it. And he was brave enough to accept it.

He raced forward. Heero carefully positioned Mei away from the attack, switched his leg, now with Billy's almost full weight around it, Billy smart enough to get a firm hold before trying anything offensive. Derek moved as if to plow straight into Heero, then ducked around Mei to Heero's side. Heero barely managed to prepare with Mei still holding his arm, keeping him from blocking. One good push and Heero's balance broke. Billy dug one foot into the dirt and pulled, and though Heero could have caught himself, it would have meant shoving Mei back and kicking Billy across the yard. And so he fell, barely keeping Billy from getting squished or Mei from falling on top of him and losing his breath.

Of course, all of the kids pounced on this sign of weakness. Someone – Liánzhèng – moved to try to tickle him, and Mei hurried to cover his eyes so he couldn't see. Billy was probably the one to try to grab his legs, used to him recovering before he and Russell managed to get Heero pinned. They all shouted, one above the other, laughing hysterically. Heero found himself laughing, as well. His clothes were likely ruined by grass stains.

"All right, everyone, let poor Heero up, or we're going to be late. And tardiness means no chocolate," Sally called, trying to herd the children into some semblance of order once again. Billy was the first to run off; he hadn't even picked up his bag yet. Derek was next; Heero felt his presence leave more than anything else. And then Liánzhèng, likely to talk to Billy about the fight. The two of them would probably make Heero's life miserable in the weeks to come. He hoped threats of coal in their stockings would keep it to a minimum.

Mei was the last to get off, still laughing and straddling his chest, hands still over his eyes. It took Wufei calling her for her to finally leave. As soon as she did, Heero opened his eyes.

Duo was looking down on him, gray cloak over his shoulders but hood down, scythe in hand, staring at Heero with wide eyes. It was those same exact eyes that Heero had first seen, really _seen_, of Duo's. This was the Duo who had been almost afraid of him, shocked into stillness at what Heero could do. That first time, Heero had pulled his wrist free of leather bindings, and Duo had thought him nearly inhuman. And he'd been in awe. It was there in the slight gape of his mouth and the shine in his eyes. A look that said Heero was amazing, almost too amazing. A look Heero had chased down from that moment on, fixing his Gundam, saving Duo, destroying the Libra. And finding that look again and again. A look that still came to that face every once in a while. Not as often, anymore, now that they knew each other so well, but sometimes.

Heero's lips curled into a smile. He held out his hand.


	2. Thanksgiving

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing isn't mine. Obviously.

Done because I can never just let a world go. Oh, no. Also, in keeping with the spirit of the initial challenge, every chapter will, in some way, incorporate the past in some way, whether it be a memory, a recounting, a nightmare, or anything else.

* * *

An Ever Fixéd Mark

Thanksgiving

* * *

Trowa and Sally did the brunt of the cooking, deftly moving the ever-interfering children to the table to help chop up the vegetables or skin the potatoes or put together the casseroles. Quatre and Russell took over babysitting from there. (Billy and Lianzhéng, specifically; they'd already been caught flinging potato skins at each other, and then, a bit later, marshmallows from the candied yams. Lianzhéng had started catching them in his mouth, much to Billy's dismay.)

Heero's job, as it was every Thanksgiving, was to herd Duo safely away and calm him down.

The noise from Wufei's living room and kitchen (because Wufei had the best and biggest kitchen) could still be heard as Heero led Duo up the stairs and toward Wufei and Sally's room. Duo was chattering aimlessly about – Heero tuned in long enough to listen – weasels. He seemed to think they were rats stretched at birth. Or something; Heero knew it was only background noise, an attempt to blank out the sound of _twenty-five-pound turkey_ and _five-pound ham_ and at least five more dishes for the main course alone; two casseroles and mashed potatoes and candied yams and stuffing and cranberries, and then pumpkin pie and some strawberry-marshmallow concoction of Sally's and ice cream, and the knowledge that even six kids and six adults couldn't finish all that off. There would be a lot of leftovers. It was Duo trying to pretend he wasn't, as he would say, 'freaking out over _food._'

But that's what it was. Duo. Freaking out over food. Over potential waste.

But it wasn't that, either. It was Duo thinking of starving on the streets, of those he grew up with, of the kids who died every year in the cold of hunger, of not enough, and thinking, 'this is how those who left us behind lived, _and now I'm one of them_.'

So Heero ushered him into the room and onto the bed, made up in its usual dark blues and browns, and knelt in front of Duo. He sent Duo a smile, and Duo, of course, silenced himself, his eyes swallowing the smile whole. An old habit from their days of the war, when Heero had never smiled. He placed one hand on Duo's knee, thumb rubbing into the cleft behind the kneecap. "Duo."

"I know," he said, and there was that gust of breath that said Duo was fed up with himself. Heero dug his hand in a little deeper, still careful of his strength, no matter how much Duo groaned when he lost control in bed. "I _know_," he said, sighing now. "After so many years, you'd think I was _used_ to this."

"Not at all," Heero said, once more loosening his grip and rubbing soothing lines into Duo's skin. "There are some things that will always haunt us. We can't escape our pasts. Nor should we. You wouldn't be you if you'd lived any other way."

Duo smiled. It trembled a bit, his back still poised as if to run back down and take the damn food from the stove – which he almost had that first Thanksgiving. "Really, Heero? Waxing poetic?"

"More philosophical," he said, shrugging. Duo covered his hand with his own. Heero kept rubbing, knowing Duo was looking only for a deeper connection. "Talk to me," he said.

It was one of those few times Duo ever talked about those days. Because they were at the front of his mind, anyway, or because he needed to purge the memories, make Heero understand? He didn't know why, but he treasured every one. The story of huddling under a bar, spiders crawling over them as they hugged each other in the dark, listening to the people walking above them and hoping they didn't get caught, because their other nests had been raided and they would have nowhere else to go if people found them. The story of Lucky, a kid with a cute face who could always be counted on to get more charity tips than the rest of them because of his red hair and dimples, who had been found half-starved after several days, his body reeking of semen and blood, his jaw broken with the force of a man's thrust. The story of Katy, a girl who still knew her name, and how she'd slowly withered, her bones poking nearly through her skin, her eyes large and wet, and then dry, so dry, one morning when Duo woke up and saw her unmoving.

He loved them all, because they were Duo's, they were _Duo_ himself, the shadows in his eyes and the heaviness to his shoulders.

"A woman walked past us once. Only once; she wasn't the type to come to our neighborhood," Duo whispered, clutching Heero's hand now as one might a lifeline. "We all stared at her as she passed. Mouse wanted to try to steal from her, but Solo forbid it. He saw what we'd missed then – the hunger. Not our kind of hunger; a different kind. This was the kind of woman who needed to know she was bigger than the world. That she could own it if she wanted. But it was cold – the stupid station had let the heat fall critically low again – and Mouse was starving. We all were.

"He tried to take her purse. It was a tiny thing, black and silver, with a simple pinch clasp. He might've gotten away with it, but Martin saw him. Martin was the weaver." Heero remembered, from the first story, Duo telling him about the men who made it a point to chase down the street rats every time they caught them, hating the kids for stealing what they needed to survive. "He yelled, and pointed, and the woman in three skirts yanked her purse away and slapped Mouse. He fell. Solo held me back. He cursed a lot, and hissed a retreat – the woman pulled a derringer from her ankle and shot Mouse."

Heero held himself carefully still, knowing any emotion, any at all, would make Duo stop. "Mouse was still alive when we came back. When Solo let us back into the street. No one had gone to help him. He'd just bled out onto the street, everyone moving away from the puddle. But a couple shoeprints showed people hadn't even bother to – to try moving around him. He was still alive. His lashes fluttered. I guess the woman was a shitty shot; she'd probably never actually used the gun before. She might have even come to our neighborhood for the opportunity to use it. But eventually he stopped moving, and we had to leave."

Heero didn't understand the idea of belonging to a vulnerable pack. While he'd been raised as a tiger might have, Duo had been raised as a deer. Or, perhaps yes, mice. He knew only what it was like to learn to hunt, and to learn to do it alone. To fend for himself, a carnivore hiding in the shrubbery, waiting for the right moment to pounce. Duo, on the other hand, had learned to scuttle with the pack, to grab what he needed, ever ready for the moment when he would have to run and, perhaps, leave someone behind. It meant Heero often felt in the wind when he did get these stories. But he'd learned the basics. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Duo's thigh. Duo's other hand rested on the back of his head.

"I love you," he said. Words that he'd fought against for years. Words that never failed to make Duo's heart jumped. He emphasized each word, as if they were torn from his chest. He never let them go lightly. And so Duo's breath stuttered, as always, and he bent down as if to curl himself around Heero. "And I'm proud of you."

Duo snorted. "For telling you?"

"No. For having to be held back." Duo looked up, surprised. But Heero could only smile. "You wanted to go help him. You were ready to throw yourself into danger to protect him. Even back then, you were the man I love."

And Duo slid down from the bed and threw himself into Heero's arms.

It wasn't often Heero got to see Duo's need for love. Usually the man brushed it off or joked it away. Only rarely did Duo drop his defenses and show just how much he starved for more than food when he was a child. Heero pulled Duo close, close enough that their full bodies came into contact everywhere, from their knees against the carpet up to their collarbones, Duo's head hidden in Heero's neck.

"No, Derek. Don't bother them." Russell's voice slid up the stairs.

"Why not?" Derek asked, his tone almost angry, as always. "We're about done, and they haven't anything."

Heero wanted to snarl at the interruption, but Duo was outright giggling into Heero's skin, and it felt good enough to let it slide. He buried his face into Duo's hair, just for a moment, needing contact as much as Duo.

"It's a family thing," Russell said, the soul of patience. Heero could imagine the teenager standing, one hand on his hip, the other beckoning Derek from the stairs. "Heero and Duo always take time together today. Don't interrupt."

"Too late," Duo whispered, and this time even Heero chuckled.

"Why?" Derek asked, stubborn in a way Heero hadn't thought possible yet. Duo peeked up at the sound of it, as well, his brows furrowed. But Heero caught the look of hope on his face and knew it was time to get up. He slowly released Duo and stood. Duo joined him a moment later.

"Because we're doing the nasty!" Duo shouted, loud enough for the whole house to hear him. Heero covered his face with his hand.

There was a single beat of silence, and then every kid, almost at once, shouted, "eeeeww!"

Heero laughed.

And Duo led the way back down, acting as if nothing had happened in the room. Heero knew exactly when Derek saw him, because he said, "no, you weren't! Your braid's fine!"

"I did it up again. We are in another's home, after all."

Heero closed his eyes and breathed deep. Sometimes he was certain he was the only adult in the family. Thank goodness for Russell.

"Maxwell! Stop traumatizing the children!"

Heero hurried out of the room before Duo said something worse just to mess with Wufei. At least the rest of the night could be enjoyed without any dark shadows lingering in Duo's gaze.

And now he had another piece of Duo's life to piece with the rest. It was a good day.


	3. Christmas

An Ever Fixèd Mark

Christmas

* * *

Duo kept cackling behind him.

Literally. Heero would arrange Billy's presents, keeping them carefully from everyone else's to keep the boy from grabbing someone else's without looking and opening it, and he would hear Duo's low chuckle ride up into – and there really wasn't another word for this – a cackle.

Finally Heero finished and sat back on a sigh. "Duo, what are you... doing." He turned in time to see _exactly_ what Duo was doing.

After all, Billy had, indeed, not left Heero alone after Halloween, and had proceeded to prank him, and even to get Lianzhéng in on the action. Heero had nearly fallen back into his soldier's instincts, had nearly found himself waking every time Duo moved in his sleep, every time one of the kids got up to go to the bathroom, every time a neighbor came home late. His hands started twitching for a gun he'd put away as soon as he'd come home. Duo's reproach on the boys had come close to Shinigami's anger.

And now, it seemed, Duo had found his revenge.

After all, they'd warned Billy that if he continued, he would only get coal in his stocking.

Duo had, of course, gone all out with this. He'd gotten packets and packets of cheap coal-shaped chocolates, all of which he ripped open and poured, once by one, into Billy's stocking. And each time he did, he gave that evil chuckle again. Heero shook his head, but even as he watched, Duo reached the last few inches of the stocking, and he started _opening_ all of the packages. He lay a number of the chocolates on a plate prepared beside him, popping a few into his mouth for good measure. And then the basket of rocks Heero had watched him collect – a basket he'd questioned the existence of just earlier that day, as they prepared to go to Relena's usual Christmas Eve party – was pulled up. And Duo started curling the rocks into the chocolate wrappers and placing them all one by one into the stocking. His laughter then was even lower, and far more diabolical.

Heero couldn't help it. He chuckled, too. "And where are his real presents?"

"Oh, don't worry, they're around here. Somewhere."

Heero had to cover his mouth to hide how miserably his stern look failed. "You know he'll be miserable if he can't find them."

"Oh, for heaven's – don't ruin my thunder, Heero, geez. It's under the chair." And Duo nodded to the armchair not two feet away from him. Hero wouldn't be surprised if Duo sat there come morning, forcing Billy to slither underneath him to get his precious gifts. Duo held grudges.

The stocking now complete, Duo shuffled over and hung it on the end, behind Derek's. It had been difficult, trying to find out what Derek liked when the boy hid anything of the sort, but Halima had gotten under the boy's skin, and through Quatre's intervention, they learned he loved science and archeology. His stocking was now filled with miniature dinosaurs and a couple of fossils of leaves or snails, and a fossil kit sat under the tree. Index cards of different creatures and plants of different time periods had been scattered around the house.

"Well, it looks like we managed to get everything done with time to spare," Duo said, grinning over at Heero.

"The only reason we beat midnight this year is because Russell wanted to stay out with his new girlfriend," Heero said, but Duo just waved his words away.

"Yeah, yeah, stealing all the thunder, here, Yuy." Duo leaned back on his hands and tilted his head up to the ceiling. Heero knew he was listening for the boys, and not just to make sure they were all sleeping obediently. "I think – and I know this sounds bad – but I think little Maria is all wrong for him."

Heero smirked. "Getting possessive, Duo?"

Duo shot him a glare, but it melted under Heero's warm smile. "Yeah, no. I mean, he's so used to babysitting everybody – Billy, Derek, even us... well, okay, yeah, just me, stop that – that he's got to find somebody that will take care of him. And from what I've seen of Maria, that isn't going to happen."

Heero leaned back against the sofa and grimaced. "Unfortunately, I agree. Maria isn't the one. But he'll figure it out."

Duo hummed something that sounded vaguely like agreement and scooted until he could lean back into Heero's arms. "It's weird. I mean, I've felt the passage of time, but never this... strongly? Well, that's not true, either." And both knew he was talking about how strange it was to feel _normal_, sometimes, how the both of them sometimes blended in with those they still sometimes called 'civilians,' or 'normal people.' How they could go to a grocery store and not once check to see if the food had been tampered with. How they could go to the post office without needing back up. "But still. He's old. He's going to graduate next year. We're... we're probably definitely over thirty."

Heero chuckled. "Yes. In a few more years, Une will likely have me stop handling arrests and start having me train recruits full time."

Duo hummed again. They both knew Heero only went out on arrests when he had to – he'd been serious that day when he'd said he wouldn't kill anyone ever again. He mostly trained, anyway. But his days of heading out on arrests were coming to an end. He'd done enough traveling – wandering – for one lifetime. Now he wanted to stay home, help raise Billy and Derek. Stay with Duo.

He nuzzled into Duo's hair, long enough now to nearly reach his knees. "As much time in peace now as in war," Heero said, the very thought of it stopping the breath in his lungs.

Duo reached up and squeezed Heero's hand. But then, a moment later, Duo's attempt at reassurance falls as he whispers, "that's creepy."

And it was.

They'd been raised by the war. Had been birthed in its very womb. And now they masqueraded around in the land of peace, some false Valhalla whose halls had never meant to be desecrated by their steps. And yet look at what they'd accomplished. Heero and Duo both worked to stop criminals with Preventers. Heero trained the next generation of recruits, teaching them that which peace alone could not. They'd saved a baby of the war. They'd made a home for him, and for two more. They'd created a family with the other pilots. Heero squeezed back, finally, even though Duo's grip had loosened. They'd not only ended the war, but had made the budding days of peace brighter. Even if others called their contributions now small, they meant everything to at least their small group of people.

He kissed the top of Duo's head. The tree was huge before them, decked out with countless bulbs and figures, little superhero figures they'd made from keychains, a Santa figure Russell had made when he was four. It glittered red and white and silver. The lights, on since the night before, when all of the boys had been allowed to open a single present, as per their old custom (begun when Duo, far too giddy about his first Christmas to sit still, had needed to be appeased with a present to stop him bouncing off the walls), danced off the walls in sparkles of light gold, illuminating Duo's face and the crown of his head. He was gorgeous. Beautiful. Small wrinkles curled out from the sides of his eyes, the barest hint of laugh lines. His clothes, far less somber than anything he wore during the war, let alone that horrid priest's garb, was little more than blue sweatpants – they hadn't so much as left their house since Relena's party – and a simple t-shirt with the Iron Man arc reactor in the middle. His bare feet kept time in a rocking sway between Heero's own.

Heero smoothed his hands up and down Duo's chest, fingers splaying out. Through the press of the shirt, Heero could feel Duo's nipples. They hardened in seconds under Heero's touch, and Duo let loose a deep shiver that rattled against Heero's skin. Duo sucked in a hard breath. "Heero." He shifted uncomfortably on the floor. Heero smirked.

A car pulled up in the driveway.

"Oh, my god. Please tell me that's not Russell."

"That's not Russell," Heero said.

Duo twisted in his hands. "You are a _liar_, Heero Yuy, and that's a bad influence on the children."

Heero chuckled and leaned down to capture Duo's lips between his teeth. "Is that a complaint I hear, Mr. Yuy?"

As always, the reminder of their old wedding vows made Duo shudder hard. Heero knew Duo had a boner big enough to tent those silly sweatpants. Though, considering how restricting his own pants were at the moment, perhaps Duo had had the right idea.

Then again, at the sound of Russell's door shutting, Duo was the only one having to find some way to hide his crotch. Heero made it harder by pulling Duo snugly into his lap, letting Duo feel Heero's own hard on against the tip of his ass. Duo's gasp was very audible. His curse was even louder.

Russell unlocked the door and stepped inside just as Duo managed to contort himself around and grab the pillow off the chair and shove it between his legs. Heero chuckled again; there was no way the boy wouldn't understand just what Duo was doing. Sure enough, Russell smiled softly in greeting, caught the pillow and the surely-mortified look on Duo's face, and snorted. "I'll just go to bed, then, shall I?"

"What are you even doing back here?" Duo asked, his voice only slightly strangled. "It's barely midnight. It's Christmas Eve. Your girlfriend has got to be feeling romantically inclined. And you're here? Did you forget your condoms or something?"

Russell gave Duo a look. It was the look that said he was amazed Duo got away with being called his guardian. "It's Christmas Eve. I'm not abandoning my family for some girl time."

Duo just stared. Beneath Heero's hands, Duo started to tremble. Heero caught the side of the blindingly hopeful smile Duo beamed at Russell. "Really?"

Russell blushed and grinned. "Of course. You're my family."

Heero couldn't help the deep roll of his heart at the word. _Family_.

They both said goodnight to Russell a little breathlessly. And though they might have had much more frantic sex just minutes ago, after that they were content with slow, gentle touches and a soft, inexorable fall. Heero held out for as long as he could, dragging Duo moaning and gasping along with him, until they both couldn't hold on any longer and came, the feeling more like the tremors of an earthquake instead of a volcano or waterfall.

Before either of them so much as twitched in the direction of their bedroom and the connected bathroom, Duo rolled on top of Heero and leaned in for another long, deep kiss. Duo barely pulled away, just enough for Heero to stare into those blue-violet eyes. "Merry Christmas," Duo whispered.

Heero grinned. "Merry Christmas." And he pulled Duo down again, because they had until dawn before the boys would come tromping down the stairs.


End file.
